IMO, the biggest contributor to turnover is the misguided soul who decides that he will do inspections “part time” and, when he starts getting enough business to carry himself, he will do it full time. I think that of the 90% who will fail before their third year in business, 80% fall into that category.
A part time commitment and part time effort gets only part time results. You have to not only invest money and time into training and tools…but commit to the fact that the time between inspections is when you actually are working the hardest to market and prepare your business and your skills. Add to that the fact that the part time newby doing $175 home inspections will NEVER earn enough to quit his full time job.
I was a top producing agent for a decade and full-time agents complain about part-time agents just like full-time inspectors complain about part-time inspectors. There may be a marketing opportunity here, but we’d have to do something drastic. I could make us an “InterNACHI FULL TIME Inspector” logo similar to our others www.nachi.org/logos.htm but with a twist. To use the free logo, members would have to get a letter from their accountant stating that 80% of their earned income comes from performing inspections. I can author language for your accountant. Then you could have the logo link to a copy of your accountant’s letter. It’s a bit out-of-the-box, but that is what is going to be needed to alert agents and buyers that it is in their best interest to hire a full-time professional who makes performing inspections his/her career and passion. We could come up with a couple articles explaining why consumers should pay a little more for an InterNACHI FULL TIME Inspector and avoid part-timers. You could use the articles with your logo linking to your accountant’s letter. Let me know what you think of the idea.
Years ago, we had a member who was competing against a major home inspection franchise and asked me to help. I came up with “Family owned and operated, not a franchise” for him. It worked. This is a similar marketing strategy.
Vega is creating the logo tonight. Get a letter from your accountant ready (he need not put any number$ in the letter). Something short and sweet on his accountant letterhead…like this:
I am Bob the Inspector’s accountant. I have reviewed Bob’s financial documents. This letter confirms that 82.4% of Bob’s earned income comes from performing inspections.
lol Nick no one starts this business without a second source of income. You would be foolish to do so IMO. What about those of us who don’t have a choice to become full time right now? I’m not the only one and I’m one of the associations biggest supporters. Talked highly about you guys for along time now. So are you saying since I’m part time and Jim is full time he’s a professional and I’m not? If so why would you allow part timers into this association?
Billy, it’s just another professional designation like Infrared Certified](http://www.nachi.org/ir.htm). REALTORs have many. Not all apply to everyone. Exploit your strengths.
While you’re at it, you need to change the CMI and CPI designations to indicate full time status. There are many part-time CMI’s and CPI’s out there too.
Any way you look at it your singleing out part time inspectors. Your own words states to avoid us right here in this thread. Go ahead release it. If you choose to do so while your at it cancel my membership with InterNACHI as well. I’m sure many will follow.
Nachi has enough designations that are nothing but marketing gimmicks…that is all they need is another one to discredit the association.
As to part time versus full time…its all smoking glass…what matters is knowledge and experience that is brought to the table of one’s client.
Truth be known, the whole underlying issue probably deals with low ballers which are typically (not all) part time. Low ballers eventually knock themselves out of the market. I suspect that low ballers are cutting into JB’s profits for which is the probable cause of his venting…surely it couldn’t be his attitude.
I used to be FULL time home inspector for about 24 years, but this years slowdown in RE sales and a subsequent reduction in phone calls has turned me into either a SEMI-RETIRED or a PART-TIME inspector.
For 12 years I had a full time answering and scheduling service BUT this year I’ve dropped them / Don’t need a service to answer 6 calls a week with 4 of them being from companies trying to sell me something.